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Section 01 (9:30): Fulginiti, Hoaglund, Jepson


The U.S Congressional Committee on Intelligence is charged with the oversight of the United States Intelligence Committee. This committee oversees all or part of most of the intelligence agencies of the federal government, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and Air Force Intelligence Agency. Reports to the Senate about the Intelligence activities and programs that it oversees. The Committee of Intelligence has both a Senate (May 1976) and a House Committee (July 1977).

Senate
House
Good information about the beginnings of the Intelligence Committee and how it is now (as of 2004)

If the U.S Congressional Committee of Intelligence was around from 1945-1960 there focus would have been on Russia and the Soviet's nuclear power and their Atomic Weaponry, also their spies and getting information about possible future attacks.

2/12/10 Truman
The Intelligence Committee finds that they do not have enough information to confirm that there is Communists in the film industry and the US State Department. We need the CIA to investigate into it more instead of relying on speculation. We need to get the CIA over to the Soviet Union to investigate their possibility of Communist communication with the US and about foreign technology.

Eisenhower :
How should Congress respond to what we’ve uncovered about the Soviet missile technology?
- Congress needs to talk to the Soviet's and try to reason with them about using the missiles. They are potentially very powerful and can very easily reach the United States. We need to keep an eye out on them to make sure that they do not go further with the missiles and use them against us or other friendly nations.
How should Congress respond to Sputnik and potentially to launches of spacebound vehicles?
- The Soviets found a weakness with the United States because we do not have any satellites in orbit or even in the making. The United States needs to repsond by setting up an Aeronautics and Space Administration that can allow us to defend our nation from foreign threat and further our advancements to compete with the technology of other nations.


1960s

Within the 1960s, the FBI investigated people who objected against the government, i.e. protestors, civil rights leaders, SDS, and other groups prone to violence. They unlawfully tapped phone calls, warrantless break-ins, planted microphones, and open citizen’s mail. They also viciously investigated Martin Luther King Jr. and later called him "most dangerous and effective Negro leader in the country." Th FBI investigated over 500,000 people and groups within the 1960s and into the 1970s, which took away people's First Ammendment Rights of free speech. If the Intelligence Agency was around at this time, they would have controlled the FBI and other agencies' illegal activies for it took away American people's rights.


Congress Day 3
During this time period, the Intelligence Committee was still not created and those that were associated with the now current Intelligence Committee were doing illegal actions. If we were to propose an bill, it would be asking permission from Congress to allow the Intelligence Committee to investigate people whom ever we wanted to investigate or whom ever we thought was a threat.
The Voting RIghts Act that we wrote seemed fair and allows equal opportunity to all citizens. It allows all those that were previously denied the right to vote to vote and sets repercussions for anyones actions if they were to prevent someone from voting. Voting is a right that is gaurenteed to all American citizens so we were happy to set the rules to enable everyone to feel that they will be heard.

Congress Day 4
Reactions to whether or not to prosecute Richard Nixon for obstruction of justice.
Sarah- I feel that just because Nixon resigned from office doesn’t mean that he should be excused from his wrongdoings. I also don't consider resigning a punishment because he willingly left on his own terms. He he did not want to face the pain of being impeached so he took the easy route out and left. If he was actually impeached and had that stigma attached to him, that would cause me to sympathize with him more and ask for a lesser punishment. I still would make him pay for his crime because no American citizen should be excused from the law. Since Nixon was not impeached, he should get the fullest extent of the punishment because there is no fair reason to allow him to not pay the price. Even Presidents and public officials need to follow the rules they helped pass.
Sam- Richard Nixon should have been prosecuted for his crimes. He was not impeached because he resigned before the embarrassment of the impeachment proceedings had taken place. Just because he was our president does not make him above the law or any better than the regular U.S. citizens. If I had committed a crime such as that, I seriously doubt that I would have been pardoned for it; why should that make Nixon any different? He should have to face the consequences of his actions. It's true that Ford just probably did not want to make the matter any worse, but the people of the U.S. probably wanted action taken against a criminal.
Jen- I think that Nixon should be punished for his actions, his resignation does not excuse the fact that he broke the law. As an American, we all expect to be treated equally, including the people in office. If anyone else did this crime they would be arrested and prosecuted the president should be of no exception.

Congress Day 5
Sam and Sarah started drafting their bill- Childhood Obesity Bill

Congress Day 6
The Childhood Obesity Bill is NOT passed after much debate!

Congress Day 7
Continued deliberation of other bills




Section 06 (10:30): Choe, Green, Tokarz


The Congressional Committee on Intelligence is a committee represented by the United States House of Representatives and the Senate which oversees several other government agencies and executive branch departments. This Committee was established on July 14, 1977. Four sub committee's make up the Congressional Committee on Intelligence. These four sub committee's are the Subcommittee on Terrorism/HUMINT Analysis and Counter Intelligence, the Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence, The Subcommittee on Intelligence Community Management, and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

Recent News: www.examiner.com/Subject-U.S._House_Select_Committee_on_Intelligence. html
House of Representatives: intelligence.house.gov
Senate: intelligence.senate.gov/

For 2/10 - consider the following Truman-era issues:

Although there is insufficient evidence to confirm that members of the film industry had part in the American Communist Party, it’s a fact that many movies of the time were directed toward communist ideals. This alone should suffice in the monitoring of these individuals involved with these films.
Are there Communists in the US State Dept?
Is Senator McCarthy right? If so, what can Congress do?
What's the best way for the US to spy on the Soviet Union?

3/3/10


"Proposed to pass a new government agency the DIA, Defense Intelligence Agency. It's goal will be to consolidate and to coordinate the production of intelligence analysis by each of the military services and to serve as the principal source of intelligence support to the Secretary and his staff, as well as to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the unified commands." DIA

"In the wake of anti-war demonstrations and urban rioting in several US cities, the Pentagon establishes a set of civil disturbance plans designed to put down political protests and civil unrest. Conducted under the codename Operation Garden Plot, the new program significantly increases the role of the military in training for and intervening in social uprisings. The Pentagon develops contingency plans for every city considered to have potential for uprisings by students, minorities, or labor unions. Each area of the country follows a subplan of Operation Garden Plot." (Civil Disturbance Planning and Operations)

Brennan Green/ Watergate: Nixon Obstruction of Justice
-In my own opinion Nixon deserves anything that comes his way. He lied to the entire country about the involvement of his co-republicans in the Watergate break-in/burglary. I can remember another president who faced impeachment when he lied to the country. President Clinton anyone? President Clinton lied about his personal affairs (minor when compared) where Nixon lied about a serious criminal act that was insulting to Americas government. Nixon’s resignation should not be sufficient; he should still be prosecuted in a criminal court. This will show Americans that the system does work and maybe it will regain some credibility. Above all else the worst thing that Nixon did was he made a mockery of the American government along with the presidency and our election system. If I were an adult during his administration I would feel uneasy about Nixon. Americans should have a leader they trust.


Anthony Tokarz
Nixon and Obstruction of Justice (Watergate)
- After reading the memorandum issued by the Watergate Special Prosecution Force, I believe that Richard Nixon should be punished for his acts during Watergate, especially in regards to obstruction of justice. With just looking at the “tangible” evidence, I believe that simply by looking at the stated “factors” which support or oppose Nixon’s indictment and prosecution strongly are in favor of indicting and prosecuting the former president. As stated in the first factor which was in favor of his indictment, our justice system requires every person in the United States to “answer to the criminal justice system” no matter who they are, or what they have done I the past. In terms of non tangible evidence, imagine the unrest and feelings of betrayal experienced by the American people. No one likes a liar, or a “crook”, and this especially applies for someone in such a prestigious position, such as the President of the United States.


Here are instructions on what to do with those questions and how to prepare for Wed 2/10.